Just Fooling Around
by WritingForHugs
Summary: In the end, no one is hurt. Besides, it's just a joke. Modern Day AU. One shot


** Just a little smut, but with a twist ;) All response welcomed!**

***Please note that the change in tense is deliberate :)**

* * *

Katniss barely had enough time to register that Peeta was standing on her doorstep, wearing grey sweats, a loose tank top that displayed his muscular biceps and a baseball cap, his golden curls peeking out from the edge, before he pushed her up against the wall and kissed her. She giggled, and he grinned against her lips, kicking the door shut with his foot.

"Hey." He said, finally pulling away and letting her slide down the wall.

"You came." She whispered, gazing up at him. His eyes were impossibly blue- like the sky on a summer day, clear and seemingly endless. His pupils were shining, and flecks of green and gold surrounded the edge of his irises.

She loved his eyes. They took her breath away.

"You hinted," He said, capturing her mouth in another smouldering kiss, tasting the strawberry ice cream she was eating earlier on. She sucked on his bottom lip, looking up at him through her thick eyelashes. "I would've been here soon but Coach Marr kept the entire team back to do laps."

"Bad luck." Katniss murmured, admiring the way the rapidly setting sun lit up his face, highlighting the sharp contours of his skull.

"I must've jumped at least five red lights on the way here." Peeta confessed, his hands sliding down her narrow waist, over her hips until he cupped her ass, pressing her close to him. Katniss wrapped her legs around him, and he carried her up the stairs, kissing her softly the entire time. Burning heat pooled low in her stomach, rippling through her in intoxicating waves that made her fingers and toes tingle.

Once they reached bedroom, Peeta let her back down, turning to lock the door.

"Eager much?" She said airily, snatching his hat and slipping it on.

"I think you're the eager one. Your hints were as subtle a punch to the stomach."

"Thanks." She said sarcastically, biting her lip.

"You're welcome."

Peeta steps forward, cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. Katniss pushed him back onto the bed, settling herself above him. Her centre ached for him, and she moaned, grinding down against him. She swallowed his groan but squealed when he hooked his leg around hers, pulling her underneath him in one smooth motion, pressing hot open-mouthed kisses against the tender skin of her neck.

Grasping the bottom of his shirt, she yanked it upwards. He raised his arms to help pull it off, and she mapped his torso with her fingertips, grey eyes wide as if she'd never seen his bare form before. Spanning his broad shoulders were light brown freckles, and covering his back, marring the soft skin, were jagged pink scars-permanent reminders of his violent, alcoholic mother.

Mrs Mellark took a belt and whipped her son when he was thirteen, and worked him while the wounds were still fresh, ripping the flesh open, preventing the gashes from healing. Blood stained his shirts, trickling down into his pants. He collapsed onto the pavement –delirious- and Katniss just happened to stumble upon him.

After a long struggle, she managed to drag him back to her house, and Mrs Everdeen and Prim patched him up. During his recovery on the Everdeen's kitchen table, Katniss and Peeta grew close, forming an unbreakable bond over loosing both their fathers.

They were watching a football game, huddled together on the bleachers, when Peeta first kissed her- almost a year after his whipping. At first, she was shocked. Her best friend was _kissing_ her. _On the lips._ He had apologised profusely afterwards, but she had kissed him back.

They were inseparable, growing to love each other more and more as time went by.

"Peeta!" Katniss gasped, yanked out her thoughts, her mouth falling open as she arched her back against the mattress. Peeta chuckled darkly, popping open the buttons on Katniss' check shirt and to palm her breast through her lacy bra. Flinging the garment away, he latched on to her hardened peak, sucking it into his mouth. Katniss gripped onto his sides, her nails leaving behind red crescent moon shapes, feeling the mass of muscles built up from years of wrestling and work at his parent's bakery move under his pale skin.

"Should I stop?" He asked, tugging her ear lobe between his teeth. He _knew _that was he weakness.

"N-no," Katniss panted. "Don't stop."

"But your Mom will be back from work. What about Prim?"

"Mom's working till four. Prim's at Rue's." Katniss explained.

"Alright then," Peeta whispered with a depraved gleam in his eye. "That means that I can do this."

"W-what are you talking abo-?" Katniss asked curiously, but was cut off when Peeta ground down against her center his hardness causing a delicious friction, even through his sweats and her clothing. A strange, animalistic groan escaped her lips, sounding almost pained, and she held him close to her. She could feel how hard he was already, and scrabbled at his sweats, pushing them down with her feet. He removed her shirt, unhooked her bra swiftly due to years of practice, and pulled her shorts down. She lifted her hips up off the mattress to assist him, but pulled him back down to hover above her, twisting her fingers in the curls at the nape of his neck.

Peeta dipped his head low, kissing slowly down her body, over her heaving breasts, over her flat stomach and sticking-out ribs. She inhaled deeply when he tucked her legs over his shoulders, only to let it out with a delighted sigh when he spread her folds and dragged his tongue through them, right up to her clit. Her hands reached down to thread through his hair, and he hummed against her skin. The vibrations made her squirm against his mouth, and he had to lay an arm over her hips to keep her still. His tongue dipped into her again and again and she cried out, her toes curling against the sheets.

Katniss shuddered, her breathing rapidly growing shaky. Peeta traced through her folds, lapping up her arousal eagerly as her hips bucked up against his mouth. She came with a broken cry, her hands flexing and balling into fists in his hair, tugging at the roots forcefully.

He slid back up to face her, kissing her again as she slowly regained her sense of balance on the bed, a lazy smile on her lips. Her legs fell open easily and he positioned himself at her entrance, holding himself up as to not crush her under his weight.

"I don't have a condom." He said, the thick bands of muscles in his arms trembling. She gazed up at him, her lips swollen and parted. What did she do to get someone as good as Peeta as her boyfriend? He was popular, handsome, and charming. His lips could spin words of gold (among other things) and somehow she had him all to herself.

"It's okay," She smiled, trailing her knuckles over the side of his face. "We don't need anything."

Peeta raised his eyebrows. "Are you on the pill?" He questioned. She nodded. Peeta smirked before pushing into her, covering her mouth with his and swallowing her moan. Yet again, she arched her back, her sensitive nipples scraping against his chest. He shivered, biting down on her lip. After all this time, he still couldn't get used to the feeling of her walls clenching tightly around him. _She_ couldn't get used to the feeling of him filling her to the very brim, forcing her to stretch in order to accommodate. He was big, but he was big in every way, whether it were the size of his heart or his towering height.

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark were polar opposites on the outside. She was petite but muscular, barely reaching five foot four, with mesmerising grey eyes and sleek hair the colour of coal. Her skin was tanned from being outside so much, and came from the Seam- the poorest of poor. He, on the other hand, was the blonde-haired, blue-eyed, broad-shouldered youngest son of the baker. Soaring over his girlfriend, Peeta was well built. Katniss' head reached just below his shoulders, and even when she very rarely wore heels there wasn't much of a difference.

Despite the prejudice surrounding their relationship, they loved each other fiercely. On the inside they were the same: intensely protective of the things and people they loved, yet managed to complement each other perfectly. While she was a raging inferno, he was a mellow breeze- strong enough to keep her going, but soft enough to keep her contained.

Not a day went pass when they didn't miss their fathers. Katniss wished that her Dad could see what an amazing man she had ended up dating, and Peeta wanted his father to see that he had finally gotten the girl he loved. Peeta could've had anyone- there were certainly many girls at school who adored him- but he had chosen Katniss. And she couldn't say no.

Peeta shifted his hips back, pulling out until just the tip of his cock was grazing her folds. She whimpered plaintively when he pushed back in, wrapping her legs around his waist as they moved against each other, two becoming one. He gathered her in his arms, grinding slow and deep and long, coxing soft mewls from her throat. She fisted the duvet as he continued to slide in and out of her, whimpering as her fingers flexed on his shoulders.

"Are you okay?" He asked, pausing his movements.

"Yes!" She gasped, opening her eyes, her pupils fat and round. He was sure that his eyes were darkened with lust as well. "You're just so much _bigger_ than last time."

He groaned, her words sending shivers down his spine. "Do you want to sit on top?" He offered, knowing that whenever she felt discomfort in the missionary position she would find it easier to ride him, keeping it at her own pace. He was comfortable with pretty much any position they tried, and watching Katniss ride him, her breasts bouncing as she slid up and down his length, rotating her hips and leaning forward to stimulate her clit was something he enjoyed immensely. He wasn't about to say no.

"No, keep going." She urged him on, rolling her hips up against his to encourage him. Ever concerned about his partner's wellbeing, Peeta kissed her slowly before continuing. Katniss didn't know where to put her hands; one minute they were cradling his face, the other tracing over his scarred back, but she eventually settled on his shoulders.

Mewling desperately, she met his thrusts with equal enthusiasm, writhing beneath him. He sucked ruthlessly against her neck. She'd get a hicky, _that_ was certain. She said they were tacky, but he knew that she took pride in displaying it at school, and laughing at all the cheerleaders who gasped because '_the slag-heap queen was with_ _Peeta Mellark'. _

Besides, a hicky was a like a placard- a reminder of home. Whilst the bakery was his home, it was empty and angry and unloving, filled with memories of his father and bloodstains over the walls from when Aymee Mellark had lashed out at her sons. To Peeta, Katniss was the home he wanted. She was kind and loving and so much more better than the horrible woman who gambled his hard-earned money, burnt his paintings, let her one night stands beat him and ran over his pet cat when he was ten. Katniss had one of his paintings framed and hanging in her room. She loved him.

Clenching his jaw, he forced himself to make her come first. It was only polite. But she buried her face into the sweaty skin of his shoulder and bit down hard, and he struggled not to bust his nut. She was close, and his thrusts became more erratic as ecstasy threatened to pull him under.

"Are you close?" He gasped.

"Yes," She cried out. "Are you?" Peeta didn't answer, his hand snaking down to where he was moving into her to press tight circles against her clit. She shuddered, groaning loudly as she came, her walls squeezing his throbbing member tightly. Peeta followed seconds after, emptying himself in her, crushing her momentarily as he came down from his high, before flopping over onto the mattress beside her.

They both lay there, side by side, for a few moments, catching their breath. Peeta pulled Katniss, whose limbs felt as wobbly and compliant as jelly, into his arms and held her. She fit perfectly against his chest. He pressed a tender kiss against the side of her neck, and she snuggled against him contently.

"I love you." He whispered, breaking the silence of the dark room. Katniss smiled to herself.

"I love you too," She replied, squeezing his hand. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I do." Peeta chuckled and pulled up the covers around their shoulders. Katniss yawned. Peeta inhaled her woodsy scent. They're asleep within minutes of each other.

* * *

It's the sound of her mobile vibrating, humming loudly- obnoxiously so- against the wooden surface of her bedside table that wakes them both. Katniss squints at her digital clock. The green numbers glow like cat eyes against the darkness. It's 3a.m.

"Is that _my_ phone?" Peeta asks, his voice gravelly and low. He's still half asleep.

"No, it's mine." Katniss answers with a frown, stretching her arm out and pushing her hair from her face.

"Who the fuck is it?" Peeta grumbles. Katniss slides her thumb over the screen and opens the message. It's Johanna.

'_Answer your fucking phone moron. This is urgent'_. T he text doesn't beat around the bush, much like its sender.

"It's my Mom," Katniss lies, climbing out of the bed and pulling on a loose sleep shirt. "I'll be right back. I need to take this."

"Is everything alright?" Peeta asks, propping himself up on one elbow.

"Yeah, yeah. She's probably ringing to say she won't be back till midday." Katniss smiles reassuringly at him and pads out of the room and down into the kitchen. She turns on the light, dialling Johanna's number, and jumps, letting out a frightened gasp when the fluorescent light flickers on, revealing a tired-looking Mrs Everdeen sitting at the table, nursing a coffee.

"Sorry dear." She apologises.

"Christ, Mom! Why was the light off?" Katniss asks, clutching her chest.

"I'm sick of fluorescent lights- there's enough of them at the hospital."

"Rough night?"

"I guess you could say that," Katniss' mother says, rubbing her eyes with the balls of her hands. "We lost one of the young patients. She was so sweet."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Katniss says, her shoulders slumping.

"Nah, it's fine," Mrs Everdeen smiles ruefully, her eyes roving up and down her scantily clad daughter tiredly. "You alright?"

"Yep."

"Peeta upstairs?"

"...Yep?" Katniss tugs at the bottom of the shirt she hastily pulled on, suddenly aware of how short it actually is.

Mrs Everdeen smiles softly. "How long has he been here?"

"He got in around five. Got held back at wrestling."

"Does Aymee know?" Katniss laughs, rolling her eyes.

"Like she actually cares." Katniss scoffs. Peeta's mother would win 'Worst Mother of the Year', hands down. Half the time she's too drunk to function, or is wasting the compensation money from her husband's untimely death in bingo halls. Katniss turns, planning to hide in the bathroom and ring Johanna.

"Are you two using protection?" Her mother stops her, and she turns around, her cheeks growing pink.

"Mom..."

"Katniss, as your mother, I think it's my duty to know if my daughter is having safe, responsible sex with her boyfriend or not. If you're uncomfortable with me asking, I can always go upstairs and ask Peeta instead." The older woman raises her eyebrows.

"That's a horrible idea," Katniss wrinkles her nose, imagining the scenario in her head. She can see it all now, her mother bursting in to find Peeta lying in her bed, wearing nothing but his birthday suit. It's simply too mortifying to even comprehend. "I've been on the pill ever since you asked me to."

"Good. I'm not ready to be a grandparent."

"I look forward to the day when you confront Prim and Rory about safe sex." Katniss grins.

"Hazelle will join me, I am sure." Mrs Everdeen laughs lightly.

"G'night, Mom."

"Night darling." Katniss creeps back upstairs and into the bathroom, dialling Johanna's number again and sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

Johanna answers after the first ring. "Fucking hell! It's about time you picked up!"

"Sorry. I was asleep. That's what people do at 3a.m."

"Details, details," Katniss' spiky-haired friend says. "Have you buttered lover boy up?"

"Yes..." Katniss sighs.

"Good," Johanna says, and Katniss can practically feel the pure evil rolling off her friend through the phone. "You do realise that when I say butter him up, I mean-"

"Sex? Yeah. I get it."

"Alright, alright. So you aren't as brainless as I thought you were."

"Did you ring me up to insult me or actually plan this prank?" Katniss asks. "Because I have a warm bed and a warm boyfriend to get back to."

"Eww."

"That's how I feel when you tell me about make up sex with Thom." Katniss scowls.

"Oh," Johanna laughs. "Woops... Anyway, make sure that Peeta is gone by ten, okay? And text one of us when he's gone."

"I can't believe I've actually agreed to this," Katniss whines. "He's gonna freak out. Especially after what happened with Rye."

"Which will only make it funnier!" Johanna cackles with glee. "Don't you dare chicken out, Everdeen. I'm gonna have to get Annie to pee on a stick for you!"

"I'll see you in the morning."

"This is going to be the best April Fools _ever_!" Johanna laughs. Katniss hang up and crawls back to Peeta.

"Everything alright?" Peeta asks when Katniss curls up beside him.

"Yup," Katniss says, pressing her icy feet against his warm calves. "Everything is just fine."

* * *

Golden sunlight streams through a gap in the curtains covering Katniss' bedroom window. She opens her eyes slowly, letting her eyes adjust to the brightening room, and stretches her limbs like a cat, enjoying every cracking sound her spine makes. Beside her, Peeta snorts in disgust.

"That's gross."

"You're gross." Katniss retorts. Peeta rolls his eyes, sitting upright and running a hand through his hair. He leans forward to kiss her. His breath is minty. He must have been chewing on a mint after he woke up. Katniss feels bad- her breath must be awful. Peeta doesn't seem to mind though, and holds her up with a hand on her neck. The heated kiss only adds to the slickness from last night that is on her thighs, Katniss groans. How can this guy turn her on so much?

"Are you hungry?" Peeta asks, pulling away.

"Starving," Katniss says, lying back on the bed. Peeta crosses the room to fetch his underwear. Katniss admires his ass as he walks away, the 'v' that leads down below his beltline and his beautiful morning hair. "Can you go to Sae's and get some breakfast burritos?"

"Sure, any preferences?"

"Extra bacon," Katniss grins. "There's a tenner in the left pocket of my shorts." Peeta fishes out he money.

"I need my shirt." He says, motioning to the tee she's wearing. She arches an eyebrow.

"Go shirtless."

"Shirtless?" Peeta asks dubiously.

"Sae won't mind." Katniss challenges.

"I'm not doubting that she would, but I still need my shirt."

"Come get it." Katniss smirks. Peeta sighs, but burrows under the duvet, reappearing inches from Katniss' face.

"Gimme my shirt, Katniss.

"No."

"Katniss..." Peeta warns, his eyes glittering.

"Peeta..." Katniss mimics his tone, but her laughter is ended abruptly when he slides a finger into her. She groans along with Peeta. "That isn't fair." She whimpers.

"Give me, my shirt," Peeta says, removing his hand and moving up to squeeze her breast. She pushes into his touch. He pulls the shirt over her head, leaving her bare in front of him. "See, that was easy." He murmurs. Katniss pulls a face, covering herself with the bed sheet.

"Go get my food."

"Charming," Peeta laughs, pulling on his shirt and heading for the door. "I'll see you in a minute."

Katniss clambers out of bed, finds some underwear, unhooks her bra from the lamp shade and hops around the room to pull her jeans on before running to the window. She watches Peeta wave to a dog-walker, (how can he possibly know _everyone_?) get into his car, and drive down the street, forcing herself to wait until the car is around the corner before whipping out her phone and ringing Johanna.

_'Get the fuck down here. He's getting food at Sae's. He'll be ten minutes'. _She presses send and flings the phone down, before pulling on a fresh shirt. She opens the windows as wide as possible, trying to get the smell of sex out of the room as much as possible before her friends arrive. There's a ring at the door and she takes the stairs two steps at a time, skids over the tiled floor, and wrenches open the door. Johanna, Madge and Gale crowd her porch.

"Get in!" Katniss hisses. "Upstairs! Go go go!" Johanna barrels past, followed by Madge. Gale pulls his friend into a hug.

"When Madge told me about this, I laughed for about half an hour. I can't believe you're actually doing this."

"Shit, nor can I," Katniss says, jogging up the stairs. "But you did bring a camera, didn't you?"

"As requested," Gale nods, holding up the device and grinning manically. "Youtube, here we come!"

Upstairs, Johanna is freaking out. Madge flops onto the half-made bed, and Gale hides the camera in Katniss' bookcase.

"Alright!" Johanna says, her eyes wild. Madge, stay where you are. Gale, lean against the wall and look menacing. Katniss, you can sit on the bed, and Madge and I will sit either side of you."

"Trying to make yourself look like a compassionate friend?" Gale laughs. Johanna glares at him.

"This is not the time for jokes, asshole."

"I've brought eye solution to make your eyes water... you know, make it look like you've been crying." Madge says.

"Couldn't Annie and Finn tag along?" Katniss asks, sitting beside Madge.

"No, Annie's got morning sickness," Madge shakes her, head, blonde curls bouncing. She opens up the bottle and sucks some of the clear liquid into the dropper. "Open your eyes." She instructs. Katniss lays back and holds her eye open with her finger and thumb. Madge drops solution into both Katniss' eyes, and almost immediately her eyes begin to water.

"Does this look realistic?" Katniss asks, turning to Johanna. Johanna claps her hands gleefully.

"Oh my God, yes! Mess your hair up. Madge, get her some tissues." Johanna says. Madge snatches the box of tissues from Katniss' desk and pulls some out, running to the bathroom to dampen them a little to look like they've been used to dry Katniss' 'tears'.

"Yo, Peeta's car's just appeared." Gale warns, craning his neck from his position by the wall.

"Holy fuck!" Johanna cries. "Okay, make sure you cry loads and sob and shit, brainless." She says to Katniss, handing her the pregnancy test than Annie peed on.

"I know the script. You made me go over it about a thousand times." Katniss says.

"Gale, you know what you've got to do?" Johanna asks, her eyes shiny. Katniss sighs. Her friends are way too evil. They're enjoying this too much. Gale flashes them a thumbs up. "Madge, make sure to turn you acting skills up to the max." Johanna continues.

"I'm not a grade A drama student for nothing."

"Yeah, okay," Johanna scoffs. "Good luck guys."

"I hate you all." Katniss speaks up. Gale grins.

"Action people, make this work!" Johanna says. Gale crosses his arms over his chest and stares at the carpet underfoot, putting on an angry expression. Katniss pulls her knees up to her chest. Madge leans against her friend, wrapping an arm around her. Johanna holds her head in her hands.

Poor, unsuspecting Peeta.

The room is quiet as all five friends listen intently for the sound of Peeta. They hear the door open. They hear the heavy footfalls on the stairs. Katniss takes a deep breath as the door opens.

"Hey, I got the burritos," Peeta says, stepping into the room. "Whoa, where did you guys come from?" He asks, confusion evident in his voice. Katniss keeps her face buried in her knees. "Why are you here?" Peeta asks.

"Why are we here?" Gale speaks up. "Why the _fuck _are we here?" He repeats, sounding more pissed off by the second. Katniss smirks. They should all be getting Oscars for this, not to mention one-way tickets to hell.

"Katniss? What's going on?" Peeta asks. Katniss hears the sound of Peeta putting the plastic bag of burritos and his car keys on her desk.

"Katniss, you need to tell him." Madge says softly, rubbing Katniss' shoulder consolingly.

"Tell me what?" Peeta asks.

"Brainless, come on." Johanna whispers.

_That's right, Jo. Kind but with the usual edge of meanness. _Katniss thinks to herself.

"Can someone please tell me what's happened?" Peeta asks, louder this time.

"Don't be an ass!" Gale shouts. Katniss is so glad her Mom's gone to get Prim. "How the _hell _could you not know what's happened?"

"Gale, don't." Katniss whimpers. _And the Oscar goes to..._

"Why shouldn't I?" Gale growls. "He's fucked up. Either you tell him or I will!" Katniss forces herself to look up. She catches sight of herself in the mirror in the corner of the room. Christ. She looks like shit. But it's Peeta's face that breaks her heart. He looks petrified.

"Gale!" Madge hisses. Katniss breaks out into tears.

"Look what you've _done_ to her!" Gale yells, stepping forward and shoving Peeta. "You're such a twat! She's _sixteen_!"

"What's happened?" Peeta cries, stumbling slightly, obviously taken back by Gale's anger. Katniss continues to sob. Madge murmurs into her ear. "Katniss, baby, tell me." Peeta continues with wide eyes, stepping forward. Gale yanks him back, shoving him against the wall, holding him up by the scruff of his neck.

"Don't you fucking touch her!" He spits. Johanna steps in, pulling Gale away. Peeta straightens his collar, looking at Gale in surprise.

"Stop it! Christ, Gale! You're making it worse!" She hisses. Peeta walks over to Katniss, and crouches down in front of her. Katniss dabs at her 'tears'.

"Hey, come on. You can tell me anything." Peeta says, resting his hand on her knee.

"Katniss, you have to." Madge reminds her.

"Why are these guys here?" Peeta asks gently.

"I called them. For support." Katniss chokes out.

"Why, what's wrong?"

"You love me, right?" Katniss asks, peeking up over her knees. Cripes, this tear stuff is great.

"Of course I do." Peeta says, his lips turned down into a frown.

"No matter what?"

"No matter what, you know that," Peeta promises. "I love you Katniss. Please tell me. You're scaring me."

"I felt weird... during the night..." Katniss starts, playing up the hiccoughing stage of crying. "You know, when my phone rang?"

"Yeah, it was your Mom."

"'Cuz I texted her, before you came over, and she didn't get to reply until then because of her shifts."

"And?" Peeta prompts. "What was it? No one's died, have they?"

"N-no. It's not that. I told Mom that I felt funny. She said that there was a stomach bug going around, and that maybe I had got it, but I knew that it wasn't an illness..." She trails of, taking a deep shaky breath. Madge passes her tissue. "And I missed my period..." She exhales slowly. "So I took a pregnancy test."

Peeta is stunned into silence for a minute or two, his brain processing the information. "What did it say?" He asks quietly.

"P-positive!" Katniss says.

"Are you sure?" Peeta asks, sinking back onto his heels.

"The test was a hospital grade one, Peeta," Madge says, pulling out the test Annie peed on. "It's most likely correct." Peeta takes the test and stares at it. His face pales.

"I'm so s-sorry!" Katniss croaks, hiding her face in her hands.

"This is his fault, Catnip. Not yours." Gale interjects.

"Shut up, Gale." Johanna cuts him off.

"I didn't think this would happen!" Katniss sobs.

"B-but you're on the pill," Peeta says. "How could this happen?"

"It must h-have been before I s-started taking it."

"What about condoms? We used them."

"It m-must have broken. I-I don't know!"

"Hey, don't cry," Peeta soothes, sitting beside Katniss and pulling her into a hug. She buries her face in his chest. "Take another test, just be sure. Maybe it's a fluke."

"I don't t-think it is!"

"But... but we're only sixteen. I can't be a father," Peeta says, obviously trying his best to stay calm. "Do you want to get rid of it? Or are you gonna keep it?"

"I c-can't get r-rid of it. N-no. I c-can't." Katniss lets out another pained sob.

"Okay, okay. That's okay. Calm down," Peeta says, rubbing her back in circles. "Don't cry. We'll sort this out."

"M-mom doesn't even k-know yet," Katniss reveals. "I didn't w-want to w-worry her 'cuz work at t-the hospital is stressful."

"Do only these guys know?"

"Yeah," Katniss says. Peeta is silent. "Are you mad?"

"Katniss," Peeta says, pulling away and holding her shoulders. "Why would I be angry? Accidents happen. Look at Rye. He got his girlfriend pregnant, and they're alright."

"Lead by fucking example, you dickhead." Gale mutters.

"We'll be okay. Don't cry," Peeta says, wiping Katniss' tears away with the pad of his thumb. "I'll get another job. I'll sell my Xbox."

_Sell his Xbox? Hell no._

"Katniss, it'll be okay. Peeta is a good guy." Madge says.

"It is Peeta's, right?" Johanna says warily.

"Of course it is!" Katniss exclaims.

"Calm down, calm down," Peeta says, smiling sadly at Katniss. She can't imagine how he must be feeling. Terrified of what being a father means. Terrified of what his mother will do. "Let me get my head straight."

Katniss bites her lip and glances up at Johanna, who gives her a look that she translates a:

_'Oh go on then. Give it up. He looks like he's about to die.'_

"P-Peeta?" She asks, looking up at him.

"Yeah?"

"There's one other thing." Katniss says, scrunching the tissue Madge gave her in her palm.

"Christ, what is it?" Peeta asks. Katniss so desperately wants to kiss him to death right now. He looks so terrified, but despite the situation, he's stayed wonderfully calm.

And she didn't think she could love him any more than she already did.

She takes a deep breath. Madge squeezes her shoulder. Johanna grins. Gale smirks. Peeta panics just a little bit more.

"APRIL FOOLS!"


End file.
